Nov. 16, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Miami's Riquna Williams and Wake Forest's Sandra Garcia were named Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Basketball Player and Rookie of the Week after leading their respective squads to successful 2009-10 season-opening weeks. Williams helped the Hurricanes to a 2-0 start, including an impressive 111-93 win at CSU Bakersfield, while Garcia tallied a game-high 19 points in her first collegiate debut, a 64-47 victory over Jacksonville at the Joel Coliseum.

The Atlantic Coast Conference's weekly accolades are voted on by the league's "Blue Ribbon Panel," which consists of national and local media members, as well as school representatives. The Panel will vote for the ACC preseason poll, weekly honors and postseason All-Conference teams for the 2009-10 season.

The Atlantic Coast Conference's weekly accolades are voted on by the league's "Blue Ribbon Panel," which consists of national and local media members, as well as school Williams set a career-high in Miami's season-opener with 34 points. The Pahokee, Fla., native hit a then career-high six 3-pointers in the win. That career-high lasted only two days as she hit eight 3-pointers against CSU Bakersfield. With only a one-point lead at the half, Williams hit five threes in the first four minutes of the second half to break open the game. Williams shot 21-40 overall from the field and 14-26 from beyond the arc, she was also a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe on the week.

Miami won its first two games for the first time since the 2006-07 season and won its first two on the road since 2003-04. The 111 points scored against CSU Bakersfield was just one shy of the team-record 112 - scored against Stetson on Jan. 12 1991.

Garcia posted the game-high 19 points against Wake Forest's season-opener vs. Jacksonville in her collegiate debut. The Hollywood, Fla., native also added 10 rebounds and registered five blocks, the best single-game block performance from any Wake Forest player since December 2007. Garcia is a true center who has experience playing for the Columbia National Team, while at 6-3, she is the tallest of the Wake incoming 2009-10 class.

ACC action continues this evening as three league squads battle early non-conference opponents. Clemson and Virginia take to the road to face opponents of College of Charleston and Virginia Commonwealth, respectively. Maryland welcomes New Hampshire on Monday evening. All three games are slated for 7 p.m. ET.

Tuesday, November 17 opens the 2009-10 ACC Women's Basketball television slate as Florida State takes on Florida on FSN-Florida. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Gainesville.